TERRY MOSHER
TOP OF THE TOWN – We are witnessing the second-coming of the Hitless Wonders. It was in 1906 that the Chicago White Sox batted a collective .230 with seven home runs. They quickly that season drew the nickname, the Hitless Wonders. The Seattle Mariners through their first 38 games (18-20) of the 2021 season are batting a collective .201. They are the modern day Hitless Wonders. It’s a wonder they have won 18 games. Back in 1906 the White Sox were indeed wonders. They had a 93-58 record and won the American League by three games over the New York Highlanders. They were truly amazing. But the wonders kept on coming. The Chicago Hitless Wonders won the World Series, defeating the Chicago Cubs, four games to two. You might remember the 1906 Cubs that were managed by 29-year-old Frank Chance, who was part of the famous (Joe) Tinker to (Johnny) Evers to Chance double play combination that lives in on history. Chance also hit .319 with 10 triples. It was their defense and pitching (Hall of Famer Mordecai “Three Fingered” Brown won 26 games with an ERA of 1.06) that carried the Cubs to a baseball record 116 wins. That record still stands although, surprise, the 2001 Seattle Mariners also won 116 games. Unfortunately, 2001 was the last time the Mariners have made the post-season. But, who knows, maybe the 2021 Mariners, the current Hitless Wonders, will duplicate what the Cubs did 115 years ago. Don’t bet on it, but as the 1906 Chicago White Sox showed, hitless wonders sometimes are indeed, well, wonders.